Table 2.

Mean values ± standard deviations and proportions of baseline characteristics in the intervention and control groups at the baseline examination

Baseline variables	Intervention	Control	p value
Number	28	30
Age, year	49.4 ± 14.8	50.1 ± 13.2	0.86
Body mass index, kg/m2	20.6 ± 2.5	20.4 ± 3.0	0.72
Current smokers, %	7.1	3.3	0.52
Past smokers, %	14.3	16.7	0.81
Ethanol intake, g/day	2.7 ± 6.4	3.1 ± 6.5	0.80
Habitual exercise, %	67.9	56.7	0.39
Perceived mental stress, %	39.3	43.3	0.76
Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg	111.1 ± 17.4	106.9 ± 13.0	0.29
Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg	66.3 ± 10.2	62.8 ± 6.4	0.12
Medication use for hypertension, %	10.7	3.3	0.28
Total cholesterol, mg/dl	209.3 ± 27.3	213.0 ± 42.3	0.69
LDL-cholesterol, mg/dl	117.9 ± 25.2	124.2 ± 37.8	0.46
HDL-cholesterol, mg/dl	72.7 ± 12.5	70.8 ± 14.2	0.60
Triglycerides, mg/dl	78.9 ± 42.3	71.2 ± 28.8	0.42
Blood glucose, mg/dl	92.3 ± 4.8	91.7 ± 7.4	0.76
hs C-reactive protein, mg/L	44.6 ± 47.7	56.2 ± 151.7	0.70
Red blood cell counts, ×104/mm3	404.7 ± 24.7	409.5 ± 32.1	0.53
Hemoglobin, g/dl	12.8 ± 1.2	12.8 ± 0.8	0.99
White blood cell counts ×102/mm3	49.0 ± 13.5	43.7 ± 10.8	0.11
Menopause, %	42.9	46.7	0.78
Fatigue of the eye, %	82.1	66.7	0.18
Dizziness, %	50.0	36.7	0.31
Ear ringing, %	25.0	16.7	0.65
Headache, %	39.3	33.3	0.64
Shoulder stiffness, %	78.6	83.3	0.65
Hot flash, %	28.6	36.7	0.52
Cough, %	32.1	26.7	0.65
Diarrhea, %	25.0	13.3	0.26
Constipation, %	57.1	33.3	0.07
Pain in knee or lower back, %	64.3	73.3	0.46
Palpitation, %	35.7	20.0	0.18
Short of breath, %	35.7	33.3	0.85
Swelling of lower extremities and/or eyelids, %	64.3	43.3	0.11
Finger chilliness, %	64.3	53.3	0.41
Foot chilliness, %	67.9	70.0	0.86
Back chilliness, %	46.4	36.7	0.46
Whole body chilliness, %	10.7	10.0	0.93
Peripheral blood flow, PUa)	81.9 ± 44.5	78.8 ± 52.8	0.82
Skin temperature, °C	29.9 ± 1.24	29.6 ± 1.43	0.61

a) PU: perfusion units = (number of moving blood cells in the measured contents) × (average velocity of blood cells).